Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-03-18
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~ fAk sou rA SEAS,
A Hsnaes Tells the story OF His Expert
with Cannibais.

A wealthy citizen and prominent banker
Of Gardiner, Me, who had led On uneventful
though industrious life, sat down in the di.
rector's room OF his bank recently and told a
story OF his capture by caunibals In his
younger days which 10 better than Robinson
Crusoe's narrative, because It Is truer. He
was the son of one of the leading shipbuilders
and owners on the river, and in lsi9, when
thenty.iour or twenty 1--we years of age, he
went to California TO look after some vessel
property belonging to his father. While In
San Francisco he made an arrangement to 20
down to the South Sea on q trading voyage
g supercargo and he thus relates the Incl.
dents Of the trip:
We made one Of . group Of islands ly.
ing IN lI2o west longitude aud Az south
latitude, near New Zealand. I had heard
OF the place through Captain Henry Gardi.
ner, OF this town, and ! knew that the na.
tatoee. Captain Gardiner had told me that
the scamps had once taken . crew of forty
men from Q French whale ship and eaten
every one Of them. But potatoes were sell.
ing Msi pound In San Francisco, aud de.
termined to take back vessel load and
make enough for running the risk.
cruised about the island for about 100 DAYS
and picked up enough Of their language TO
taik with them. We were sailing BY one of
t,. tneir towns at sunset one night when con.
like landing near Seguin here, in October or
November. 1t was potato digging time and
the weather was uncertain. It shut down
dark, and l aud my boat-crew were cast
Inc natives pulled US out Of the surf aud
TOOK me into the cabin of their chief, where
dried myself aud passed the night Next
morning told the chief would like to
20 to my vessel He would not listen to it,
Then said I'd like to have him 60 OF with
ny ny @ ooa. crew and and bring the captain ashore.
vessel After they got on board, and before
they could start to come back, the wind came
around, blowing fresh, and the vessel had
put 70 eea to make an offing. The conse.
auesnce was tney never got back, and re-
mained the prisoner of those cannibals for
the next ten days They treated me kindly,
out watched me too closely, altogether. Toe.
would XIII . pig or . duck OF anything /
wanted 70 eat but couldn't move without
,sg ,neing aogged oy forty or fifty Of those fol.
loWe ihey would not tell me where the
vessel WAS The old chief who had gone to
the vessel, was . widower, and had dsuRh.
ter, fourteen or fifteen years old, whose
name was Torgsna Before her father went
would have any talk with me.
"She was person Of much influence with
the tribe, and my plan was to get into her
good graces, In order to increase nv chances
OF escape After trying in vain to induce her
70 converse win me, l acted upon q recollec.
ages are passionately fond Of gambling. l
Whitfield out wooden top, such as used to
play with for pins when boy, having on ton
Oft "A for all, "N," for nothing, etc.
showed ner now to use 1t aud told her to get
three OF Tour companions and play. She did
90, and, giving each one Of them ten kernels
OF corn, set them at gambling with IL.
Tney soon became excited over the game and
inlatuatod with the top Watching Torgans
M cMase,uiiy, l noticed that she felt very bad
L when Suh
seeing, one day, tha. che was rapidly losing
ner corn, stsaithily slipped some more In d
her hand. She accepted 1t, and knew then
that had hold on her. l increased it by
which wore on my finger. Taxing a piece
OF charcoal, l one day drew a rude map 10
show where l had left my father and
mother. told her that they were old and
nell and that their provisions would
give out, and that they would starye
unless l returned to them soon. I saw
that had enlisted her sympathy, bu,
when l asked her where tho 'kybooki THE
vessel was she refused TO tell me. A few dsys
sitei inst she came to me at night a. l was
that the kybook was st Wytanga, about ID
miles across the island. She offered 10 send
guide with me to the vessel II l would
promise to protect him and take him aWay
Win me' II did not she said, they would
Kill him. / offered to make her q pfesent of
my ring, but she would not take it tMy
iather Will Kill me when he comes back II I
nave the ring" she said. That night, l
Aho my guide, q stout, rugged fellow,
started about midnight on our tramp
across the island. We walked all the night
and all the next day to reach the vessel,
RUBBED myself all over in Q bucket of rum
when l got aboard, but the next morning I
was 30 lame that could not stand. / TOOK
away with me in the vessel my guide and
smother native called Acoschy' The latter
vas nne, honest fellow, good worker, who
begged 30 hard to be kidnapped that could
NOT refuse him. Finding that the natives
were coming aboard to search for him hid
MIN IN the scuttle, little square den under
tne iolecastie, and then put q sailors chest
over the scuttle. Those devils went all over
the vessel when they had searched one place
tney posted Q sentinel to watch 1t; thew
looked into the bunt OF sails and poked :
SUCK into every water cssk, but they thought
the iorecasue was the bottom of the yesst
and Jailed 70 find the scuttle. Acoachy was
member OF = subordinate tribe which had
Deen tsken In war by the tribe which ruled
the island. They ate half OF their prisoners
and made slaves Of the other half i'bey had
killed and eaten Acoachy's wife and child.
After we arrived at San Francisco, Acoacbv
Pieadeu TO be taken home with me, and I
Drought him to Gardiner. He was the
psst aver and swimmer ever saw, and 1
subsequently, took him down to South Amer.
ica WIN me on diving expedition. After.
wafds, while swimming across the Ksnne-
pee, ne was seized with cramp and drowned.
MS funeral WAS conducted by Bishop Bur.
gess. Acoachy was q noble fellow, q true as
sNei. his character was greatly admired BY
our beloved bishop"